Drug consumption among Moldovan youth on the rise

Drug consumption among youth and drug addicts in Moldova is constantly increasing, becoming thus a serious factor influencing negatively the society’s development, data from the Ministry of Health show. Starting 1986, drug addiction has become epidemic. According to preliminary data of the National Narcological Dispensary, about 536 people affected by drug addiction, with 11% being under age 18, have been registered since the beginning of this year. As of late May 2007, the occurrence of drug abuse and addiction represented 15.1 per 100,000 population (14.3 in 2006), with drug addiction cases being registered in all districts. About 9,500 people affected by drug addiction are being at present under medical supervision within the consulting units of the public medical-sanitary establishments. Most of them are under age 30, with about 90% of them being men. According to the cited sources, the main vulnerable category as regards the drug consumption is the youth. Minors and teenagers are more and more involved in the drug consumption, with their number staying the same. At present, there are some 350 minors and teenagers registered with the drug doctors. At the end of last year, the share of HIV infected people among drug consumers was 29.9%. A stabilisation of this situation has been known in the last years as regards the mortality among the drug consumers due to overdose, with 16 deaths being registered in 2006, 39 – in 2005, 41 – in 2004, 109 – in 2003, 131 – in 2002. June 26 is marked worldwide as the International Day against Drug Abuse, the goal of which is raise public awareness of this serious health and social problem, to motivate affected people to give up drug consumption, and to promote a healthy lifestyle.